The Vent and Rant Thread

[Stitchawl]

I can't believe it... I got a traffic ticket yesterday! And it really was my fault!

I'm not the most law-abiding person in the world, but there are some rules that I just NEVER break. I follow the law as long as:
I wish to, and breaking it won't hurt anyone else...
I wish to, and it usually won't hurt me if something goes wrong...
I wish to.
But there is one law I NEVER, EVER, break. I ALWAYS make a full stop at stop signs. I look both ways, often twice, then start up again. I don't even do that much at traffic lights! But I always do at stop signs, especially those that I know have really blind cross traffic. Like the one yesterday that has absolutely NO visibility in any direction without creeping forward, LEANING forward in the saddle to look past the blocking walls in BOTH directions, checking twice, then proceeding. I go through this intersection several times a week. I know it's there. I know it's dangerous. I always stop and check.

Except yesterday... when I sailed through the intersection as if it wasn't there.... I must have been sound asleep... Unfortunately, the cop wasn't. Bummer.


Stitchawl

[wodin]

Riding motorcycles while sleeping just might be hazardous to your health. You be careful, my friend!

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by wodin

Riding motorcycles while sleeping just might be hazardous to your health. You be careful, my friend!

This was the first traffic ticket I've received in 45 years of riding. I STILL can't believe I did this! But as soon as I did, I knew I blew it... I was lucky it was a cop behind me and not a car crossing from the side of me.

(Truth be told, I 'almost' got a traffic ticket for speeding once... We were racing on the Passo Stelvio in Italy. There were four of us and the cop stopped the last bike.)


Stitchawl

[Bookpossum]

We all have lapses of concentration sometimes. Bad luck the cop was there, but very good luck there wasn't a car crossing, which is more important.

The sun is trying to shine now, but it's still cold and miserable. And I was going out this afternoon with our field naturalists' group. I still have a couple of hours to decide whether or not to go. It's hard to imagine there will be many birds around for me to try and photograph.

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by Bookpossum

We all have lapses of concentration sometimes. Bad luck the cop was there, but very good luck there wasn't a car crossing, which is more important.

The problem is... you can NOT have lapses of concentration when riding motorcycles. Not one. Not for a second. Had there been an accident, it would have been completely my fault. I'm having difficulty accepting that this happened.

I've been in rather a lot of motorcycle accidents over the past 45 years, but none have been because of something 'I' did or didn't do. This could have been and I'm angry at myself!


Stitchawl

[wannabee]

I have had a few vehicle accidents in my driving history. I think five. One was overtaking a car while it turned right without indicating. (we drive on the left here) every other one was when I stopped at a stop sign and the car behind me expected me to roll through it and ran me down.

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by wannabee

I have had a few vehicle accidents in my driving history. I think five. One was overtaking a car while it turned right without indicating. (we drive on the left here) every other one was when I stopped at a stop sign and the car behind me expected me to roll through it and ran me down.

We drive on the left in Japan too. But I learned to drive in the US and drove there for 25+ years first. Causes big problems when we travel... My wife sits behind me saying (depending upon what country we are in at the time) "No! NO! Stay to the right!!!" or "NOOOO!!! Stay on the left side!!"

In the late '70's I "T-Boned" a van that turned across my line of travel without signaling... Fortunately it was a van and not a car. The sides of the van crumpled and absorbed almost all the impact. Totaled the van. Broke a mirror on my bike. I didn't get a scratch. But I do always look behind me when coming to a stop light to be sure that the car behind me is slowing down too. I've had a lot of drivers swerve around me so they could blow through the lights. Scares the heck out of me when they do that! I wear full armor when I ride, even for short trips to the market, but still... accidents usually hurt.


Stitchawl

[wannabee]

How's the saying go. There are brave riders . . . There are old riders . . . Arrh! I guess you get the point.

[Rumpelteazer]

After waiting for a long time I finally got my tablet yesterday. All seemed fine at first but whilst updating this morning I saw one dead pixel (bright white on a dark background and black on a light background) and one that is "just" stuck I think (smaller than the other one and only visible when there is a dark background). I can live with the stuck pixel but the dead one is in the middle of the right half of the screen and since I want to watch films on it I know it will irritate me.

I called the store to ask about their dead pixel return policy. Returning it isn't a problem but they were completely sold out, also at the main office. He promised me to ask when they expect the next batch and call me back. He just called and the next batch isn't expected until 10 Februari.

Normally I would be able to keep the tablet until the new one arrives but because it takes so long they can't do that. I got a choice between getting my money back or waiting for a new one. I'm going for the latter because of the great service they offer, no other store offers that level of service.

It's going to be a long wait because I now know what a great tablet it is!

I'm going to wipe it tomorrow morning so I can still use it today. I'm not having the best of luck with electronics at the moment.

[wodin]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

I wear full armor when I ride, even for short trips to the market, but still... accidents usually hurt.


Stitchawl

Armor or no, the human body is not designed to skid down the highway at 60 MPH, or impact with a two ton automobile either.

Riding is fun though, I think I need another bike ... hmmm, maybe next summer!

[SneakySnake]

falling off your motorbike hurts even with armour. A dog ran out to attack me whilst I was having a bike lessson for my licence, and I flew over the handlebars.(lucky not my bike - hee hee) Shredded my gloves as my hands skidded along the bitumen. Not long after that I ran up the back of a mini (my fault) that braked suddenly when a bus decided to enforce it's rights about pulling out in front of traffic. thankfully all that happened there was a flat tyre and no damage to either vehicle.

Not that I ride a motorbike any more, but I learned early to always wear boots and gloves, because coming off even at low speed will shred your clothes and your skin.

[covingtoncat73]

Oh, God. My mom texted me that she had lunch with my boss' spouse. I may pass out.

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by wodin

Armor or no, the human body is not designed to skid down the highway at 60 MPH, or impact with a two ton automobile either.

Although I've gone down several times at over 60mph, I've never been injured in those falls. My gear get severely shredded, but not me. BUT... falls when moving less than 5mph have broken me to bits!!! I can protect from skids but not from impact.

Riding is fun though, I think I need another bike ... hmmm, maybe next summer!

Nobody ever asks "Are we there yet?" when riding a motorcycle...

Originally Posted by SneakySnake

falling off your motorbike hurts even with armour. A dog ran out to attack me whilst I was having a bike lessson for my licence, and I flew over the handlebars.(lucky not my bike - hee hee) Shredded my gloves as my hands skidded along the bitumen.

A puppy got me as I was pulling out of my parking space... Not even 2mph! I hit the break to avoid crushing the puppy, went assoverteakettle and tore up my shoulder rotator cuff... Not even 2 mph!!!

Not that I ride a motorbike any more, but I learned early to always wear boots and gloves, because coming off even at low speed will shred your clothes and your skin.

I tell my riding students... "Cover what ever you can't replace." And "replace your helmet every 3-5 years. Sunlight degrades the safety factor. Lace or zipper boots are a must! Gloves with wrist and knuckle protection are a must!" They did some safety testing on the abrasion resistance of different materials by wrapping them around a 50lb bag of cement powder with a rope tied to it, throwing it off the back of a truck traveling at 35mph, then measuring the distance before the material shredded away and the bag broke open dumping the powder...

Denim blue jean material - 12 ft.
Cordura nylon - 27 ft.
Kevlar - 90 ft
Cowhide - 145 ft.

Of course, if the stitching isn't up to motorcycle standards, the thickest leather in the world won't help. Then comes the 'armor' that is sewn inside the clothing; mine has an articulated molded thermoplastic hard exterior with a dense foam interior. Shoulders, elbows, forearms, spine, hips and knees... all protected. The armor is in adjustable pockets inside my riding clothes so I can be sure that it is positioned correctly to protect me.

And then I pray a lot.


Stitchawl

[SneakySnake]

Wondering when airbags will be standard in protective clothing....

http://smmotorb.hubpages.com/hub/Air...torcycle-suits

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by SneakySnake

Wondering when airbags will be standard in protective clothing....

http://smmotorb.hubpages.com/hub/Air...torcycle-suits

They sell airbag jackets in all the motorcycle shops here. But they are really clumsy looking, ill fitting things and personally, the hard-shell armor combined with the compressible foam inside it makes more sense to me. While I ride pretty well protected, I'm not using any neck brace, and could certainly go with Enduro boots rather than touring boots, I just don't feel the need.

Motorcycle racers and motorcycle touring riders have very different needs in protection. Perhaps the airbags will become more common in racing, especially the neck brace air bags, but I don't think the tour rider will use them.


Stitchawl